Computer program covers many disciplines

As our dependency on computers increases, so does the need for people
able to work with -- and on -- them.

The new computer science program at California State University,
Channel Islands was designed to meet the most current needs of the
computer industry.

"The students are going to get a very solid mathematics and science
background," said Ivona Grzegorczyk, academic coordinator for the
computer science programs.

It will meet the newest accreditation standards, an advantage over
many other computer science programs, Grzegorczyk said.

"The new standards allow us to emphasize different fields," she
said.

That requirement ties in directly with the university's overall
mission to offer interdisciplinary educational experiences in every
program.

Areas of emphasis available to the computer science major include
software, computer graphics, computer networking, computer security --
all familiar offerings in most computer science programs. The more
unique concentrations for the major include bioinformatics, artificial
intelligence, human computer interactions and compiler design.

Of these, Grzegorczyk predicts bioinformatics will become one of the
most popular fields.

"A lot of universities around the country are trying to develop
curriculums around this area," she said. "We are thinking about opening
a master's degree program in 2004 in computer science and biology."

Bioinformatics is related to some of the mathematics program's
courses combining math and biology. Bioinformatics teams up computer
scientists with biologists to research genetics.

Grzegorczyk said genetics research is crucial because once
scientists can identify and isolate the genes that cause certain
diseases, they can work on finding cures for those diseases.

"(The student) will learn all the math that's needed to track the
human genes," she said.

She compared the compiling of the gene codes to writing the Bible,
taking many different pieces of data and putting it together for later
interpretation.

"You have to understand what it means. You have to understand it
from an abstract way. Which piece is meaningful?" she said.

"Then if you find a piece that's somehow meaningful mathematically,
is it really meaningful biologically?"

She said computer science people are the ones who design the
software used to find the pieces.

"The amount of information is overwhelming. There's no way to do it
by hand."

The program is already filled to capacity with about 60 students
starting out the school year.

Like the mathematics program, many of these students will be able to
participate in work-credit programs and internships.